Zika in Georgia: What you need to know

The Georgia Deparmtent of Public Health confirmed  the first travel-related case of the Zika virus in Georgia Feb. 3. 

The case involved a person who was not pregnant and had traveled to Colombia from late December through early January. It’s unclear how the traveler got the virus, whether through a mosquito bite or some other mode of transmission.

The infected person made a full recovery, according to the state health department.

The announcement comes two days after the World Health Organization called the virus outbreak an international public health emergency.

Here's what else you need to know about the virus.

>> Six more things to know

1.  Zika can be transmitted sexually. The CDC confirmed Tuesday that Zika is more easily contracted through unprotected sex than originally believed.  There have already been reports of sexually-transmitted Zika cases. The CDC confirmed the first sexually transmitted case in the U.S. on Feb. 2 in Dallas, Texas. 

2. The first cases of the latest Zika virus outbreak were reported in Brazil in May 2015, according to World Health Organization. The virus typically causes fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. The illness is typically mild and can present symptoms for as long as one week, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

3. The virus, transmitted by mosquitos, has been linked to microcephaly, a birth defect that causes babies to have abnormally small heads compared to other babies of the same age and sex. One such case was confirmed by the CDC in Hawaii.

4. There is no vaccination or treatment for Zika. The best way to prevent the virus is to stay away from the mosquitos that cause it, according to the WHO.

5. Zika was confirmed in the U.S. as early as Jan. 27, when Arkansas officials confirmed a case in their state. These were followed by a case in Massachusetts and six cases in Texas. The virus will likely keep spreading, according to the WHO — likely to "all countries and territories of the region where Aedes mosquitoes are found."

>> CDC warns pregnant women not to travel to these countries